Photos: The 2011 Military Photographer of the Year competition

Sean K. Harp/US Army/MCT04.18.2012

A paddle boarder navigates the Potomac River in the Great Falls National Park in McLean, Virginia, November 19, 2011. This photo won first place, sports in the 2011 Military Photographer of the Year photo competition.

Sean K. Harp/US Army/MCT

U.S. Army Soldiers from Ft. Bragg, North Carolina, load a C-17 Globemaster III on Pope Airfield September 9, 2011 in preparation for a troop drop for Joint Operation Access Exercise at Ft. Bragg. JOAX is a one week exercise to prepare the Air Force and the Army to respond to world wide crisis and contingencies. This photo earned honorable mention, pictorial in the 2011 Military Photographer of the Year competition.SSgt. Nicholas Pilch/U.S. Army/MCT

Airmen prepare a C-5 Galaxy for cargo, April 2, 2011, at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland. Ground crews are able to load and off-load the C-5 simultaneously at the front and rear cargo openings, reducing cargo transfer times. This photo earned honorable mention, pictorial in the 2011 Military Photographer of the Year competition.Perry M. Aston/US Air Force/MCT

A view of Hong Kong's nightly skyline light show from aboard the flight deck of amphibious assault ship USS Boxer while moored pierside, September 1, 2012. Boxer is in the U.S. 7th Fleet area of operations during a western Pacific deployment. This photo earned honorable mention, pictorial in the 2011 Military Photographer of the Year competition.Trevor Welsh/Amphibious Squadron ONE/MCT

An aerial view of an untouched hill side in the Iwate prefecture of Japan. Beauty stretches up the hill unphased by the destruction below, where the coast has been devastated by the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami. This photo earned honorable mention, pictorial in the 2011 Military Photographer of the Year competition.Tiffany M. Dusterhoft/USFJ/MCT

The Professional Bull Riding Rodeo (PBR) visited in the North Charleston Coliseum on January 28, 2011 in North Charleston South Carolina. This photo was given an honorable mention, sports in the 2011 Military Photographer of the Year photo compeition.James Richardson/US Air Force/MCT

Staff Sgt. Kevin Barton, of the Georgia Air National Guard, rides his Buell Firebolt XB 12R motorcycle in Jessup, Georgia, May 5, 2011, with the help of a prosthetic on his left leg. Barton lost his leg Nov. 2, 2007, when his Harley collided with a Lincoln Continental Town car. Now 24, the Airman is assigned to the 165th Savannah Combat Readiness Training Center and works at the Townsend Bombing Range in Townsend, Georgia. This photo won first place, illustrative in the 2011 Military Photographer of the Year competition.TSgt Samuel Bendet/US Air Force/MCT

An AC-130U Gunship from the 4th Special Operations Squadron flies a local training mission on January 27, 2011 at Hurlburt Field, Florida. The AC-130U "Spooky" gunship is the primary weapon of Air Force Special Operations Command. Its primary missions are close air support, air interdiction and armed reconnaissance. This photo earned third place, pictorial in the 2011 Military Photographer of the Year competition.MSgt. Jeremy T. Lock/U.S. Air Force/MCT

Jill Walton and her three daughters anxiously wait for Maj. Tom Walton to walk through customs upon returning home on the last flight home from Iraq at the Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport, December 2011. This photo was given an honorable mention, news, in the 2011 Military Photographer of the Year photo compeition.TSgt. Bennie J. Davis III/US Air Force/MCT

An Afghan woman shields her face while watching the International Women's Day celebration in the Governor's compound in Ghazni City, Afghanistan, March 8, 2011. Although many women shed their burka for the event, some covered their face in the presence of men despite the relaxed restrictions. This photo received an honorable mention, portrait/personality, in the 2011 Military Photographer of the Year photo compettion.Courtney Witt/US Air Force/MCT

Forrest, a 19 year old homeless teen with no papers, rolls a cigarette, Baltimore, Maryland June 7, 2011. Forrest and his friends, some of whom are absent without leave from the military and others who have been on their own since they were 14, travel from city to city. This photo received an honorable mention, portrait/personality, in the 2011 Military Photographer of the Year photo competition.Jodi Martinez/US Air Force/MCT

A local monk receives a new prescription for glasses during a U.S. military medical outreach in Cambodia. This photo received an honorable mention, portrait/personality in the 2011 Military Photographer of the Year photo competiton.Tsgt. Aaron D. Allmon II/US Air Force/MCT

Don Jackson, 54, a Syracuse New York resident, starts to doze off after reading a book at Recess Coffee Shop in Syracuse. Don loves to hang out in the coffee shop all day on days he is not working. This photo placed third, portrait/personality, in the 2011 Military Photographer of the Year competition.Manuel J. Martinez/US Air Force/MCT

U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Patrick Reynolds, Security Forces squad leader attached to Provincial Reconstruction Team Zabul, fights racing water while holding onto a tow strap attached to an Afghan National Army vehicle stuck in the Lurah River in Shinkai District, Afghanistan, Oct. 12, 2011. Sergeant Reynolds is deployed from Charlie Company, 182nd Infantry Regiment, Massachusetts National Guard. This photo placed second, portrait/personality, in the 2011 Military Photographer of the Year photo competition.Grovert Fuentes-Contreras/US Air Force/MCT

U.S. Air Force Master Sergeant Keri Whitehead waits for a post surgery exam at her plastic surgeon's office on March 31, 2011 in Charleston, South Carolina. Keri underwent the first of three reconstructive surgeries after her battle with breast cancer. In the first surgery the doctors removed all of the breast tissue from Keri's left breast and then placed tissue expanders into both breast to allow stretching of the skin for future placement of breast implants. This photo placed first, portrait/personality, in the 2011 Military Photographer of the Year photo competition.Jeremy Lock/US Air Force/MCT

A young girl cools off and swims in a stream of water that flows from under a broken street on September 18, 2011 in Baucau, Timor-Leste. This photo was given an honorable mention, sports in the 2011 Military Photographer of the Year photo compeition.MSgt. Jeremy T. Lock/US Air Force/MCT

Four fishermen walks back to shore along the shallow waters of Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam's Dog Beach. This photo earned second place, pictorial in the 2011 Military Photographer of the Year competition.Mark G. Logico/ U.S. Navy/MCT

The Syracuse men's basketball team starting line up cheers on their teammates in the final few seconds of the second half in a game against Colgate November 19, 2012. Syracuse easily handled Colgate with the final score of 92-47. This photo was given an honorable mention, sports in the 2011 Military Photographer of the Year photo compeition.SSgt. Chris Griffin/U.S. Air Force/MCT

A stuntman from the motorcycle group Metal Mulisha performs a stunt for spectators at the 2011 NAF El Centro Air Show featuring the Blue Angels. This photo was given an honorable mention, sports in the 2011 Military Photographer of the Year photo compeition.Benjamin Crossley/U.S. Navy/MCT

U.S. Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Reagan Lodge, Headquarters and Service Battalion, Marine Corps Base Quantico, conducts water running exercises during a phyiscal training session in Ramer Hall, The Basic School, on Marine Corps Base Quantico, Virginia, September 14, 2011. This photo received second place, sports in the 2011 Military Photographer of the Year photo competition.Sharon D. Kyle/US Marines Corps/MCT

A local Cambodian woman smiles in excitement after receiving a pass to be seen by U.S military doctors during a medical outreach in Cambodia, February 2011. This photo was given an honorable mention, news, in the 2011 Military Photographer of the Year photo compeition.TSgt Aaron D. Allmon II/US Air Force/MCT

Newly commissioned Navy and Marine Corps officers toss their hats following the U.S. Naval Academy Class of 2011 graduation and commissioning ceremony, May 27, 2011 in Annapolis, Maryland. This photo won honorable mention, news in the 2011 Military Photographer of the Year competition.Chad D. Runge/US Navy/MCT

U.S. Army Soldiers assigned to Company C, 2nd Battalion, 327th Infantry Regiment, Task Force No Slack, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division, say farewell to fallen comrades during a memorial service for six fallen Soldiers at Forward Operating Base Joyce in eastern Afghanistan's Kunar Province, April 9, 2011. Six troops were killed on the battlefield during combat operations March 29. This photo won third place, news in the 2011 Military Photographer of the Year competition.Sgt. 1st Class Mark Burrell/US Army/MCT

Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson firefighters battle a fire at building 9386 on JBER October 13, 2011. All occupants of the lodging facility were accounted for and no injuries were reported. This photo won second place, news in the 2011 Military Photographer of the Year competition.SSgt. Zachary Wolf/US Air Force/MCT

A father salutes the casket of his son Mar 23, 2011 at Buckley Air Force Base in Colorado. Buckley Air Force Base honored Lance Cpl. Christopher Mies when he arrived home. This photo won first place, news in the 2011 Military Photographer of the Year competition.SrA Marcy Glass/US Air Force/MCT

An Army Ranger trainee gets "turtled" while repelling and can't gain balance due to a 80 lb ruck during the mountain phase of Army Ranger School at Camp Frank D. Merrill, Georgia. This photo earned first place, pictorial in the 2011 Military Photographer of the Year competition.Tech. Sgt. Bennie J. Davis III/U.S. Air Force/MCT

"Daddy," screams a little girls as her smiling father approaches, still wearing his desert utilities during his homecoming from deployment with Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 362 on February 28, 2011 at Marine Corps Air Station, Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii. This photo received an honorable mention, feature in the Military Photographer of the Year competition.Cpl. Tyler L. Main/US Marines/MCT

Members of the U.S. Army Parachute Team, Sgt. 1st Class John Berentis, from Yuma, Ariz. and Staff Sgt. Laura Dickmeyer, from Abilene, Texas, access the wind conditions aloft prior to their pre-game jump into FedEx field for the Army vs. Navy game. This photo received an honorable mention, feature in the Military Photographer of the Year competition.Clifford L. H. Davis/U.S. Navy/MCT

Servicemembers from the Iraq Air Force security forces and U.S. Air Force security forces show off for each other on the top of a hardened aircraft shelter at Sather Air Base while doing a joint patrol of the flight line, December 14, 2011. This photo won honorable mention, feature in the Military Photographer of the Year photo compeition.Joshua L. Demotts/US Air Force/MCT

Sgt. Lucas Simmons, team leader attached to Laghman Provincial Reconstruction Team, rides a bike given to him by a local child during a multi-day operation Aug. 21, 2011, in Alingar District, Laghman Province, Afghanistan. The PRT, combined with assets from the 45th Infantry Brigade, conducted a cordon and search in a village thought to be home to IED makers and Taliban fighters. This photo received an honorable mention, feature in the Military Photographer of the Year competition.SSgt. Ryan Crane/US Army/MCT

A man enters a Christmas festival taking place in Parsberg, Germany Nov. 25, 2011. This photo placed third, feature, in the Military Photographer of the Year photo competition.Tristan Bolden/US Navy/MCT

As the snow falls, U.S. Army Spc. David A. Brooks, a chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear specialist from Virginia Beach, Virginia, assigned to Forward Support Company G, 2nd Battalion, 320th Field Artillery Regiment, Task Force Balls, provides security during a recent convoy in eastern Afghanistan's Nangarhar Province, February 28, 2011. The convoy from Jalalabad to Bagram Airfield took more than 12 hours. This photo won second place, feature, in the Military Photographer of the Year photo competition.Sgt. 1st Class Mark Burrell/US Army/MCT

Ken Swigart, 52, stares off into the Grand Canyon, December 13, 2011, the place where the Flagstaff Community Toys For Tots Organization will deliver toys to the children of the Havasupai tribe. Swigart, a retired Navy lieutenant commander, and others join annually with U.S. Marines to deliver toys to the Native American tribe. This photo won first place, feature, in the 2011 Military Photographer of the Year competition.Sgt. A.J. Parson/US Marines/MCT

Former Senior Airman Brian Kolfage, a Security Forces Airman, holds his wife, Ashley on his lap as they look out over the water on Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, Sept. 9. Kolfage was one of the first Airmen deployed to Iraq in 2003 at the beginning of Operation Iraqi Freedom. During a routine trip to the chow hall, a mortar flew over the walls of his camp and landed less than 10 feet in front of him. Kolfage barely escaped with his life and is the most injured and surviving Airman from any war. This photo won third place, illustrative in the 2011 Military Photographer of the Year competition.Lauren R. Main/US Air Force/MCT

Each year, Americans spend over 50 billion dollars on cigarettes, essentially smoking their money away, April 26, 2010. Roughly 30% of military active duty smoke and $930 million dollars are spent by the Department of Defense health care system on smoking related illnesses. This photo won honorable mention, illustrative in the 2011 Military Photographer of the Year competition.Jodi Martinez/US Air Force/MCT

A elderly man receives a new pair of glasses from a medical outreach function held by the U.S. military in Cambodia. This photo won second place, illustrative in the 2011 Military Photographer of the Year competition.TSgt Aaron D. Allmon II/US Air Force/MCT